Starting Saturday at the Target Maui Pro, the world's best surfers will have more than a World Championship Title at stake: The Top 17 can compete in the final ASP GoPro Challenge of the season. As the women take on the break at Honolulu Bay for the first time in six year, they'll have a chance to capture it in all its glory for cash and cinematic bragging rights.
The women's World Championship Tour heads to Hawaii for the final event of the season.
The Challenge asks competing ASP pros to submit their own GoPro videos from the competition venue starting two days prior to the contest window and no later than the conclusion of the event. The winner at each stop scores US$15,000 if the clip was captured during official WCT competition and US$10,000 if it's from a freesurf during the contest window. In every case, it's the shooter who wins and not the subject -- whether the camera is hand-held, on a board, or elsewhere.
The winning video will be selected by a panel of five judges -- three ASP staffers and two judges from GoPro -- based on cinematography, degree of difficulty of shooting, perspective and overall beauty and lighting. Each requirement holds equal weight.
The Challenge has already awarded US$40,000 to its four champs. The Hawaiian edition is the last edition of a five-part series which has included Margaret River, Fiji, Tahiti and Portugal.
The ASP GoPro Challenge submissions window opens November 20 and closes at the end of the event, which could run until December 6.
2014 ASP GoPro Challenge Winners
How good was Josh Kerr's barrel at The Box? The answer is on C.J. Hobgood's face.
The ASP GoPro Challenge debuted at Margaret River with 25 submissions. Judges selected one of two from Josh Kerr (AUS). Each of his videos showcased maneuvers from The Box that looked almost effortless. Kerr won US$10,000, the first cash pot of the series.
Women's Fiji Pro wildcard Tatiana Weston-Webb locks into a Cloudbreak barrel, fighting through a few sections before getting clipped.
The next stop for the ASP GoPro Challenge was Cloudbreak, Fiji's iconic lefthander. Tatiana Weston-Webb (HAW), replacement surfer for the ASP Top 17, made it to Round 4 of the Fiji Women's Pro, but a crazy Cloudbreak tube during the event's expression session topped all other submissions.
WCT sophomore Nat Young takes off on a drainer running toward Tahitian peaks.
As if it couldn't get any better than surfing epic, triple-overhead barrels with one other person and water patrol, Nat Young (USA) won the Billabong Pro Tahiti edition of the ASP GoPro Challenge.
A low-light barrel gives Adam Melling the vision in vibrant yellows and oranges.
Adam Melling (AUS) finished fifth at Stop No. 10 on the elite Tout but scored big without the jersey: His GoPro clip of a perfect sunset barrel won the Portugal edition of the ASP GoPro Challenge.
Check out all the clips from the ASP GoPro Challenge.
GoPro Challenge: Maui
WSL
Starting Saturday at the Target Maui Pro, the world's best surfers will have more than a World Championship Title at stake: The Top 17 can compete in the final ASP GoPro Challenge of the season. As the women take on the break at Honolulu Bay for the first time in six year, they'll have a chance to capture it in all its glory for cash and cinematic bragging rights.
The Challenge asks competing ASP pros to submit their own GoPro videos from the competition venue starting two days prior to the contest window and no later than the conclusion of the event. The winner at each stop scores US$15,000 if the clip was captured during official WCT competition and US$10,000 if it's from a freesurf during the contest window. In every case, it's the shooter who wins and not the subject -- whether the camera is hand-held, on a board, or elsewhere.
The winning video will be selected by a panel of five judges -- three ASP staffers and two judges from GoPro -- based on cinematography, degree of difficulty of shooting, perspective and overall beauty and lighting. Each requirement holds equal weight.
The Challenge has already awarded US$40,000 to its four champs. The Hawaiian edition is the last edition of a five-part series which has included Margaret River, Fiji, Tahiti and Portugal.
The ASP GoPro Challenge submissions window opens November 20 and closes at the end of the event, which could run until December 6.
2014 ASP GoPro Challenge Winners
Margaret River
The ASP GoPro Challenge debuted at Margaret River with 25 submissions. Judges selected one of two from Josh Kerr (AUS). Each of his videos showcased maneuvers from The Box that looked almost effortless. Kerr won US$10,000, the first cash pot of the series.
Fiji Pro and Fiji Women's Pro
The next stop for the ASP GoPro Challenge was Cloudbreak, Fiji's iconic lefthander. Tatiana Weston-Webb (HAW), replacement surfer for the ASP Top 17, made it to Round 4 of the Fiji Women's Pro, but a crazy Cloudbreak tube during the event's expression session topped all other submissions.
Billabong Pro Tahiti
As if it couldn't get any better than surfing epic, triple-overhead barrels with one other person and water patrol, Nat Young (USA) won the Billabong Pro Tahiti edition of the ASP GoPro Challenge.
Moche Rip Curl Pro Portugal
Adam Melling (AUS) finished fifth at Stop No. 10 on the elite Tout but scored big without the jersey: His GoPro clip of a perfect sunset barrel won the Portugal edition of the ASP GoPro Challenge.
Check out all the clips from the ASP GoPro Challenge.
Target Maui Pro
The Maui Women's Pro has hosted some of the most dramatic finales in the history of women's surfing. This year will be no different.
See who put up the big numbers at the 2014 Target Maui Pro.
Courtney Conlogue finds a pristine right to toy with.
Relive the waves, the sounds, and the drama with the songs from 2014's contests in Hawaii.
Lost Surfboards' Matt Biolos tells us about Moore's weapon of choice for the Target Maui Pro.
News
A dominant showing from Sebastian Williams headlined Day 2 action alongside Hayden Rodgers, Kei Kobayashi, and Jake Davis with excellence
Day 2 witnessed fireworks and Sebastian Williams led the charge with a 9.75 utilizing his aerial antics.
The scale was elevated nearly to its max with breakout performances from Sebastian Williams, Hayden Rodgers, Kei Kobayashi, Jake Davis and
Seven to Live Broadcast Four Major Australian Events Along with WSL Finals in Fiji -- WSL Recap Shows to Play on Seven Network Free-to-Air
Showcases from Gael Jimenez, Nesher Diaz, Jafet Ramoz, Max Munoz, and Vali Olea set the pace heading into the top-seeded Round of